Sri Lanka Clinch Thrilling 16-Run Victory Over England at Headingley to Keep Series Alive

Jos Buttler had to retire hurt with a hamstring twinge•Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images

The broadcaster’s win predictor at the start of the England chase—set at 70-30 in favor of the hosts—highlighted exactly what they thought of the surface and the quality of England’s batting lineup. The fact that England had never previously chased down a total of this magnitude against Sri Lanka mattered little in comparison.

Once Ben Duckett and Tom Banton blitzed 82 runs inside the opening powerplay—just two runs fewer than Sri Lanka managed in their final ten overs—the pair built a substantial opening stand of 143 off 119 deliveries, making the result appear all but inevitable.

The breakthrough came completely against the run of play, as Dunith Wellalage found a foothold outside the left-hander’s off stump and ripped a delivery through bat and pad to dismiss Ben Duckett, who reached out in vain for a flashy drive.

Then, at the end of Wellalage’s next over, Tom Banton waltzed straight past another delivery that gripped on the surface, allowing Kusal Mendis to swiftly dislodge the bails. Just like that, both openers were back in the pavilion.

Even so, Sri Lanka might not have dared to believe the turnaround was possible given how far ahead England seemed. But when Wellalage struck a third time in three overs, trapping Harry Brook leg before— a decision upheld on review—the old muscle memory of spin-strangled chases under lights at the Khettarama in Colombo began to stir. The pitch itself started to exhibit telltale signs of those dry Colombo surfaces.

But just as quickly as Sri Lanka thought about clawing their way back, England reclaimed control of the chase, led unerringly by Jos Buttler. Across partnerships of 46 from 28 with Joe Root and 51 from 56 with Will Jacks, Buttler was in complete command. Then, in the 38th over, his hamstring gave way, and after battling on for two more balls, he limped off.

At that point, the required rate was less than a run-a-ball with six wickets remaining. By the time Buttler was forced to return to the crease, the equation had flipped dramatically to 27 needed off 14 deliveries. In the interim, Sri Lanka applied unprecedented pressure, conceding just one boundary in the 60 deliveries between Buttler’s departure and his return.

With England seven down by this stage, the odds had firmly shifted in Sri Lanka’s favor. However, with both Will Jacks and Jos Buttler capable of clearing the required runs in a few swings, the match remained in the balance. A six to finish the 48th over demonstrated as much, but it proved to be the final boundary of the game as Eshan Malinga and Dilshan Madushanka squeezed through the last two overs to complete a famous victory.

Eshan Malinga removed Gus Atkinson as Sri Lanka tightened their grip•Stu Forster/Getty Images

More than anything, the result demonstrated that while Sri Lanka may still be some distance away from the pinnacle of T20 cricket, they possess the capacity in ODIs to compete with the very best, as they have shown in recent years—albeit not with the consistency they desire. While most of their top performances have historically come on home soil, Thursday’s performance abroad was particularly heartening.

Sri Lanka’s premier white-ball batting performances in recent times have consistently relied on significant contributions from either Pathum Nissanka or Kusal Mendis, and this trend continued on Thursday. Nissanka looked promising during his 33-ball 25, but his innings was cut short when a fuller delivery from Gus Atkinson nipped back and trapped him leg before wicket. The dismissal was a tight call, upheld upon review as replays indicated an umpire’s call on impact.

This brought Kusal to the crease, where he and his namesake, Kamindu Mendis, forged a crucial 137-run partnership from 120 deliveries. This innings-defining stand set the platform for Sri Lanka’s highest first-innings total against England in ODIs since 2018.

However, this partnership might have been extinguished before it found its footing had Gus Atkinson held onto a skier off Kusal when the Lankan skipper was on 18. Sri Lanka made sure to exact the full price for that drop, as Kusal went on to dominate a much more welcoming surface than the one at Chester-le-Street in the first ODI.

During the 20 overs between the 10th—when Kusal entered—and the start of the 30th—when Kamindu was caught at long-on—Sri Lanka hit at least one boundary in 11 of those overs. This surge pushed their score past 200 in the 32nd over, putting a total in the region of 340 firmly on the cards.

The near seven-an-over scoring rate between the two Mendises owed much to one particularly expensive over bowled by Josh Tongue, whom Kusal banished for three fours and a six. Nineteen runs came off that single over—making it Sri Lanka’s most fruitful of the entire tour, highlighting the otherwise dour nature of their batting efforts.

It was also this boundary that brought up Kusal’s century—a sumptuous drive through the covers off a luckless Jamie Overton, the very bowler off whose delivery Kusal had earlier been dropped.

Following Kamindu’s dismissal, a run-a-ball stand of 40 ensued between Kusal and Pavan Rathnayake. However, Kusal was unable to see the game through to the death overs, falling to an attempted slog sweep off Rehan that found deep midwicket. This triggered Sri Lanka’s first real scoring lull, as they trudged to 237 for 4 by the end of the 40th over.

The innings appeared to be at a crossroads, but Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage ensured that Sri Lanka would not completely squander the platform their skipper had established. While superior sides might have pushed for an additional 20 to 30 runs, that is a challenge for another day; for now, Sri Lanka will savor a rare, near-perfect evening.

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